CALGARY - George W. Bush wooed a packed crowd at a private luncheon in Calgary with his trademark folksy charm, while hundreds of protesters outside hurled insults and shoes at the former U.S. president's image.
Four demonstrators were arrested outside the downtown Calgary convention centre where Bush spoke for one of the first times since leaving office in January. At the time, he had a dismal approval rating and was blamed for his country's collapsing economy.
"There is a war criminal upstairs that has committed murder," screamed one man, who identified himself only as Splits the Sky. "If I try to get in there you will arrest me. What is wrong with you?"
Bush's affable public persona, subdued by widespread criticism of his administration near the end of his time as president, was front and centre as he explained his eight years in the Oval Office.
In his 35-minute speech, he drew ties between his childhood in rural Texas and life in rural Alberta, including the common binds of community and family.
Bush poked fun at himself, but also grew serious when talking about Canada's role in providing the U.S. with a secure source of energy.
He also admitted his administration spent its final days "bailing water" trying to deal with the financial crisis, and said while there's no easy answer going forward, more government involvement is not the solution.
The event was closed to the media, but many of the 1,500 people who paid $400 a ticket to hear Bush speak stopped to offer their impressions. Few seemed annoyed by the fact the event started an hour and a half late due to tight security screening.
"He was very, very candid. He was witty and witty in a way that you would have to be intelligent to be that witty," said Calgary Tory MP Lee Richardson.
"He seemed to have a remarkable grasp of events and issues that just didn't come through as president."
Brenda Kenny, president of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association, said Bush emphasized the interconnected, open markets that tie Canada and the U.S. together.
Peter Yates, a lawyer who has dual citizenship and voted against Bush in 2004, admitted the former president is very personable and gave an entertaining speech.
"My feelings are still the same -- he's a folksy affable guy but I don't agree with his policies."
Most of the 400 protesters waiting outside showed their negative feelings for Bush.
Some of those opposed to Bush's visit have suggested he should be arrested as a war criminal because of alleged torture at military prisons in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. Many yelled at police officers for not arresting Bush on the spot.
Signs read "No to U.S. Crimes Against Humanity," "Indict Bush For War Crimes" and "Canada Is Not Bush Country, as well as "Shoe Him The Door" -- a reference to the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoe at Bush during a news conference in Baghdad in December.
Two men showed up to support Bush, however. Their signs read "The World Is Safer Because of George W. Bush."
"Thank you, George Bush. Thank you, George Bush," they chanted.
The former president's speech almost exactly marks six years since the invasion of Iraq, said organizer Peggy Askin, and it's not OK to forget what happened in the ensuing years.
"He shouldn't be able to go anywhere in the world and just present himself as a private citizen," she said. "We do not have any use for bringing war criminals into this country. It's an affront."
One businessman in the audience said Bush implied he had some regrets from his time in office, although he didn't give specifics.
"He admitted that maybe there were some things he could have done differently, but overall he made some sense with the reasons for doing it," said George Fink, CEO of Bonterra Oil and Gas.
The 43rd president of the United States defended his reasons for military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, Fink said.
"He said if we were in his boots in 9-11, a short time after he got in, there was a big demand to do something, and he had to react and he reacted."
Kenny said Bush seemed eager to explain his views, and he said he plans to write a book to show what happened during eight very challenging years.
"I wouldn't say apologetic, I would say acknowledging that there was not always agreement and, frankly, just accepting that as a fact."
The Globe and Mail reported on its website that besides defending his decision to invade Iraq, Bush said "risk takers," not government, will solve the world recession and that he had positive things to say about current president Barack Obama.
"I love my country more than politics," Bush said.
"He deserves my silence and if he wants my help he can pick up the phone and call me."
On the economy, Bush even though he is a "free market guy," he had to step in with a bail-out package in the waning days of his administration.
But he said the government can't do it alone.
"It's the risk takers, not the government, that is going to pull us out of this recession," he said.
In a question and answer session, Bush defended the invasion of Iraq and the toppling of Saddam Hussein.
"The world is better off and the Iraqi people are better off without Saddam, no ifs, ands or buts," he said.
There were shoes everywhere during the protest. A young woman wearing a hood, orange jumpsuit and a name tag that said "Club Gitmo" was pulling a shoe cannon along with a target festooned with pictures of Bush.
Protesters flung projectile footwear from the device at the massive photo of a smiling Bush, while others jeered and tossed sandals and boots by hand.
One of the arrested protesters was ticketed and released, said police. Three others were charged with more serious offences -- one with breach of the peace and two with obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest.
Seventy-nine police officers were involved, but that included traffic members who closed off intersections for the president's motorcade.
